He has love for the poor and that is why he is coming to our hamlet to help us out. May God bless him and give him all the success."

The Lambhanis at the Jhataki Banjara hamlet in Bijapur district in North Karnataka chanted as Rahul Gandhi visited them late on Thursday night.

Rahul Gandhi, who is on a five-day state tour, stopped over at this hamlet which houses a sizeable population of the Lambhanis to have his dinner on Thursday night and also interact with the members of the hamlet.

The village wore a festive look and preparations were on in full swing since Thursday morning. Lambhani women dressed in bright clothes danced and sang as they waited for the arrival of Rahul. So excited were the residents of the hamlets that they equated Rahul to the status of Sevalal, the tribal God.

The entire tanda was decked up and residents said that the atmosphere was very similar to the one that one would get to see during "Teez and Mera" -- their festivals celebrated during Diwali.